COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT
Center for Crop Diversification Crop Profile
Baby Corn
Cheryl Kaiser1 and Matt Ernst2
Introduction
Baby corn (Zea mays) is a popular Asian
vegetable that can be consumed cooked or raw
due to its sweet and succulent taste. Many people
presume the tiny ears come from dwarf corn
plants. In fact, baby corn is the immature ear of
fully grown standard cultivars; ears are harvested
two or three days after silk emergence, but prior
to fertilization.
Marketing
Fresh baby corn sold in the husk can be marketed
directly at farmers markets and to ethnic markets.
Restaurants, particularly those specializing
in Asian or vegetarian dishes, may also be
interested in purchasing fresh baby corn. Health
food stores are a potential marketing avenue for
organically grown ears. Growers desiring to
produce and market organic baby corn must first
be certified by a USDA-approved agency, such
as the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.
Market Outlook
Most baby corn sold in the U.S. has been processed
and imported from Asia, mainly Thailand. Very
little fresh baby corn is available to American
consumers. The reported superior taste and
texture of the fresh product may provide a
marketing advantage over the more
readily available canned import.
Organic baby corn may also have a
marketing advantage, especially in
light of the rapid increase in demand
1
2
for organic products. While it is unlikely that the
fresh product will ever replace canned baby corn,
locally produced baby corn occupies a unique
niche market for the producer willing to develop it.
Production Considerations
Variety selection
Many common sweet corn and field corn
cultivars can be used for baby corn production.
There is no taste advantage in growing a sweet
corn variety over field corn, since the ears are
harvested before the sugars have an opportunity
to accumulate. However, sweet corn cultivars
tend to be easier to hand-harvest. An important
advantage of field corn is the lower
seed cost.
Additionally, field
corn stalks tend to have stronger
resistance to lodging due to the
development brace roots.
Cheryl Kaiser is a former Extension Associate with the Center for Crop Diversification.
Matt Ernst is an independent contractor with the Department of Agricultural Economics.
Agriculture & Natural Resources • Family & Consumer Sciences • 4-H/Youth Development • Community & Economic Development
Ear quality, more than yield, should be the
primary objective when selecting a variety.
Small kernel size, straight row kernel alignment,
and tapered tips are preferred characteristics for
high quality baby corn; some buyers prefer longer
ears, as well. Cultivars producing plants about 6
feet in height are generally considered the easiest
to hand-harvest. Another factor to consider in
variety selection is the ease in which the ears can
be pulled from the stalk without damaging the
leaves and plants.
Corn varieties specifically bred for baby corn
production are also available. Some of these
specialty cultivars are shorter than traditional
types, produce multiple stalks, and can yield as
many as 20 ears per plant.
Site selection and planting
Corn will do well in all areas of Kentucky, but
well-drained soils are essential for good results.
In most parts of the state the earliest plantings
are made between April 20 and May 1. Potential
tillage/cropping systems include no-till, low-till,
strip cropping, mulch till, living cover crop, and
intercropping.
Baby corn can be produced as either a primary
crop (all ears are harvested for baby corn) or as a
secondary crop (the top ear is left to mature while
subsequent ears are harvested as baby corn). A
close plant spacing is used when baby corn is the
primary crop.
Cross-pollination with other corn varieties in
adjacent fields is not a problem for baby corn
when it is grown as the primary crop, since it is
harvested when immature. However, when baby
corn is produced as a secondary crop, crosspollination can be a problem for those ears left
to develop fully. In this case, isolation among
different cultivars will be necessary. This can
be accomplished by physical separation or by
making sure there is a minimum of 14 days
difference in the maturities of different types.
Pest management
Corn earworm is one of the most destructive
insects attacking sweet corn, but since it
generally attacks after silking, it may be less of
a problem in baby corn. Other insect pests that
can cause crop damage include European corn
borers, armyworms, Japanese beetles, and flea
beetles. Growers producing baby corn as the
primary crop will be able to avoid many of these
problems since the crop is harvested so early.
Additionally, baby corn ears are tightly wrapped
inside the husk, which helps protect them from
pest attack. Potential disease problems include
Stewart’s wilt, leaf blights, rust, and viruses.
Harvest and storage
Baby corn is hand-harvested 1 to 2 days after
silk emergence, while the ears are still immature.
The ideal ear size is 2 to 4 inches long and 1/3 to
2
/3 inches in diameter. Because ears can quickly
become too large and tough to be sold as baby
corn, frequent harvests of every 2 to 3 days are
necessary. The harvest period can last 2 to 4
weeks. To maintain ear moisture and quality,
fresh baby corn, like sweet corn, is sold in the
husk. Ears must be properly cooled immediately
after harvest.
Labor requirements
Labor figures for baby corn production are not
available; however, they should be similar to
sweet corn production (20 hours per acre).
Baby corn harvest and packing, however, will
be considerably more labor-intensive than
the 55 to 65 hours per acre needed for handharvested sweet corn. Harvest of baby corn is
currently done by hand and requires 12 to 18
successive pickings, which will add to the labor
requirements.
Economic Considerations
Initial investments include land preparation and
purchase of seed. The installation of an irrigation
system would be an additional start-up cost.
Growers choosing to use a sweet corn variety may
incur somewhat higher seed costs than growers
who select field corn for baby corn production.
Field corn varieties that produce multiple ears
can result in higher yields, presuming the ears
are of a high quality. Cost and returns will also
be affected by the production method used; that
is, whether baby corn is the primary or secondary
crop. Potential growers of fresh baby corn are
advised to locate a market and determine the
market value before planting large amounts.
Growers interested in costs and returns for direct
market baby corn can modify the University
of Kentucky interactive sweet corn budgets
(referenced below) to estimate their cost of
production, or they can contact the University of
Kentucky Department of Agricultural Economics
with specific production scenarios.
Selected Resources
IPM Scouting Guide for Common Problems
of Sweet Corn in Kentucky, ID-184 (University
of Kentucky, 2010)
http://www.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/PUBS/id/id184/
id184.pdf
•
Kentucky Sweet Corn Insect Integrated Pest
Management Scout Manual (University of
Kentucky, 1994) http://www.uky.edu/Ag/IPM/
manuals/ipm10swt.pdf
• Vegetable and Melon Budgets (University of
Kentucky, 2013) http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CCD/
vegbudgets13.html
• Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial
Growers, ID-36 (University of Kentucky)
http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/id/id36/id36.
htm
• Baby Corn (Washington State University)
http://agsyst.wsu.edu/babycorn.html
• Baby Corn, PNW0532 (Pacific North West
Extension: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, 2000)
http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/
pnw532/pnw0532.pdf
• Baby Corn (Oregon State University, 2002) http://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/content/cornbaby
•
Reviewed by Zheng Wang, Horticulture graduate student (Revised March 2011)
Photos by Carol Miles, Washington State University (corn plant)
and Dorami Chan, Thai Food Blog, Flickr (baby corn on plate)
March 2011
For additional information, contact your local County Extension agent
Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin.